Matches to Make After UFC 177

T.J.
Dillashaw carried out his second fifth-round execution in three
months.

The Team Alpha Male ace turned away Joe Soto with a
head kick and follow-up punches, as he strengthened his hold on the
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s bantamweight throne in the UFC 177
“Dillashaw vs. Soto” main event on Saturday at the Sleep Train
Arena in Sacramento, Calif. Dillashaw sawed through the former
Bellator MMA champion 2:20 into round five.

Soto was far more competitive than many had predicted. A
last-minute replacement for Renan Barao,
he was originally scheduled to meet Anthony
Birchak on the undercard. However, the 27-year-old kept his
nose in the fight as a heavy underdog under less-than-ideal
circumstances, leaning heavily on his ability to counter the
champion. Even so, Soto could not keep pace with the UFC’s reigning
135-pound king, who created angles with his footwork and
overwhelmed the challenger with volume punching before scoring the
late finish.

In wake of UFC 177, here are six matchups that ought to be
considered:

T.J.
Dillashaw vs. Dominick
Cruz-Takeya
Mizugaki winner: Dillashaw deftly switched gears when
the aforementioned Barao pulled out of their rematch after a weight
cut gone wrong. Though his victory over Soto as a prohibitive
favorite will likely do little to satisfy his doubters, the
confident 28-year-old improved to 7-2 inside the Octagon and
further distanced himself from losses to Raphael
Assuncao and John Dodson.
In short, Dillashaw continues to show measurable gains with each
outing. Cruz, a former champion who was forced to vacate the
135-pound title because of injury, will return to the cage for the
first time in nearly three years when he locks horns with the
resurgent Mizugaki at UFC 178 on Sept. 27.

Tony
Ferguson vs. Jorge
Masvidal: Non-stop activity on his feet and from his
back was the name of the game for Ferguson, who eked out a split
decision over Danny
Castillo in the co-main event. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 13
winner threatened Castillo with a brabo choke in the first round,
attacked effectively with elbows from bottom position in the second
and weathered an attempted arm-triangle choke in the third, as he
posted his ninth win in his past 10 appearances. Now 6-1 since
arriving in the UFC, Ferguson seems to be a prime candidate for
advancement in the 155-pound division. Masvidal would be a logical
next step, should he get past James
Krause at UFC 178 in Las Vegas.

Danny
Castillo vs. Myles
Jury-Takanori
Gomi loser: Castillo and his stifling top game
controlled long stretches of his co-headliner against Ferguson, but
his inability to exact a physical toll on “El Cucuy” cost him on
the scorecards. The Team Alpha Male mainstay was visibly flustered
and frustrated in the aftermath of the split decision setback, as
he failed to build on the momentum he attained in a sensational
one-punch knockout on Charlie
Brenneman at UFC 172. At 35, Castillo’s bid to move beyond the
middle tier at 155 pounds may have run its course. Jury and Gomi
will do battle at a UFC Fight Night event on Sept. 20 in Japan.

Joe
Soto vs. George
Roop: Soto stands to gain plenty in defeat, as he
introduced himself to the UFC fanbase with an admirable attempt to
dethrone Dillashaw in the main event. Though he fell short, the
David
Terrell protégé proved he belonged in the organization and
figures to catch a more manageable opportunity his next time out. A
semifinalist on Season 8 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Roop last
appeared at UFC 175 in July, when he was victimized by newcomer
Rob
Font at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Derek
Brunson vs. Uriah
Hall: A three-time All-American wrestler at the
University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Brunson utilized his base
skills in capturing a unanimous decision over Lorenz
Larkin and improving to 3-1 within the UFC’s middleweight
division. The 30-year-old grounded Larkin repeatedly over the
course of their 15-minute encounter, neutralizing the California
kickboxer’s stout and creative standup game with overbearing top
control. Hall, a former Ring of Combat champion and “Ultimate
Fighter” finalist, fought through a grotesque toe injury to defeat
Tata Fight Team’s Thiago
Santos at UFC 175 in July. He has rattled off back-to-back wins
since suffering consecutive split decision losses to Kelvin
Gastelum and John
Howard.

Carlos
Diego Ferreira vs. James
Vick: Ferreira in two appearances has made himself a
person of interest in the lightweight division. The former Legacy
Fighting Championship titleholder dispatched Ramsey
Nijem with second-round punches at UFC 177 to keep his perfect
professional record intact and strengthen his position on the
Ultimate Fighting Championship roster. Ferreira, 29, made his
promotional debut at a UFC Fight Night show in June, when he needed
a little more than half a minute to submit “The Ultimate Fighter”
Season 16 winner Colton
Smith with a rear-naked choke. Vick, meanwhile, improved to 6-0
with a unanimous decision victory against Nova Uniao’s Valmir
Lazaro on Aug. 23.